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Nerdrock
Jan 31, 2006

Even then, I have Chrome open on the desktop with 12 tabs open on my SP3 and I can do way better than 4 hours. Whoever's claiming 4 hours is doing something to thrash it.

edit : vvvv all the points in the next post are true vvvv. Only time i've gotten less life out of my SP3 was by playing diablo 3.

Nerdrock fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Jan 2, 2015

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Ixian
Oct 9, 2001

Many machines on Ix....new machines
Pillbug

Nerdrock posted:

Even then, I have Chrome open on the desktop with 12 tabs open on my SP3 and I can do way better than 4 hours. Whoever's claiming 4 hours is doing something to thrash it.

I agree. I've had an SP3 since release and this is the first I've heard of a "4 hour battery" claim, much less experienced it.

I don't doubt it can happen under certain circumstances/with certain desktop apps, but it's not that common. Hell my Nexus 5 running Lollipop still has more issues with rogue apps killing battery life than my SP3 does. I use mine on a plane all the time to watch movies (XBMC), work in Office, and take care of email/browse the web (when the plane has internet) and I've gone 8, 9 hours through a day with no plug with it no problem. And that's using desktop Chrome - the battery issues with that appear to have been fixed recently.

Waiting for an SP4 falls under the same rules as waiting for any other gadget - you'll never stop waiting for the next thing. All I can say is the SP3 is the version that worked out most of the kinks with the Surface concept (I also had an SP2) and comes closest to realizing its potential as a true hybrid. The rest is up to software, really - Windows 10 will change the Surface experience more than any hardware update at this point.

Microsoft doesn't have a good track record of getting new releases out of the gate without problems anyway, it's taken them 6+ months to finally clamp down on the extremely annoying Wireless bugs with the SP3, for example (and even now I'm not entirely sure the bug where it disappears is fixed, I just haven't had it happen in a while). Meaning you'd probably be better off waiting for a few months after the SP4 comes out anyway.

So if you want an Surface now, get an SP3. It's nice, powerful, extremely portable Ultrabook with a fantastic screen, good Pen support, and a weird form factor that software hasn't caught up to yet (The Surface series is really not meant to be used in your lap like a regular Ultrabook, for that use case you are meant to use it in Tablet mode, which would work out really good if both Windows and the Windows Store/App situation had solid support for that, but they don't - the Surface, like all Windows portables, is still best used in Desktop mode. And can be used that way, quite well, just not in your lap).

wookieepelt
Jul 23, 2009

Guitarchitect posted:

I'm not up to speed on processors - is the M processor the successor to the i3/i5/i7? Or is it a mobile chipset? I can probably survive another 3-4 months without a replacement, if the the new Surface 4 will solve some of the issues I've heard about the SP3 (4 hour battery life?!)

The m processors will negate the need for a cooling fan, thus allowing a lighter, thinner tablet in theory. And as far as the battery life, the posts above nail it. Just yesterday, I was doing a lot of web browsing on the couch, away from the charger. I put about 6 hours on it using metro IE throughout the day, and I even played around on Bing maps preview 3D cities. The fan went on and the tablet got a little warm, but I ended with 40% battery left.

Stick100
Mar 18, 2003

Ixian posted:

I agree. I've had an SP3 since release and this is the first I've heard of a "4 hour battery" claim, much less experienced it.

It's probably left over from SP1/SP2/SP3 that came out so quickly (the main advertising effort of the NFL is still using SP2 afterall) that it's not suprising people are mixing up the tablets. The SP1 and SP2 had pretty bad battery life and that reputation will probably trail the surface line for awhile.

Nerdrock
Jan 31, 2006

Stick100 posted:

It's probably left over from SP1/SP2/SP3 that came out so quickly (the main advertising effort of the NFL is still using SP2 afterall) that it's not suprising people are mixing up the tablets. The SP1 and SP2 had pretty bad battery life and that reputation will probably trail the surface line for awhile.

I had an SP1, and 4 hours was about right. My friend has an SP2 and he gets 7-8 out of it with modest usage. The biggest difference in the 1 to the 2 was that the 2 had haswell architecture, which is the major battery-life gain.

Macichne Leainig
Jul 26, 2012

by VG
Anyone else with a Stream 7 have horrible sleeping battery life? I remember with my old T100 being able to sleep the device and it could sit in my backpack for weeks and drain 20% of the battery, but the Stream 7 can't last a whole night without needing a charge.

cstine
Apr 15, 2004

What's in the box?!?

Protocol7 posted:

Anyone else with a Stream 7 have horrible sleeping battery life? I remember with my old T100 being able to sleep the device and it could sit in my backpack for weeks and drain 20% of the battery, but the Stream 7 can't last a whole night without needing a charge.

You have any desktop apps running in the background? Found that if I left steam open, it'd be dead in 6 or 8 hours, and if I made sure they were all closed, it'd last a day or two.

Macichne Leainig
Jul 26, 2012

by VG
I think I had one instance of Desktop IE running, but beyond that, no. I'll continue trying to test that theory, however.

chocolateTHUNDER
Jul 19, 2008

GIVE ME ALL YOUR FREE AGENTS

ALL OF THEM

Ixian posted:

Microsoft doesn't have a good track record of getting new releases out of the gate without problems anyway, it's taken them 6+ months to finally clamp down on the extremely annoying Wireless bugs with the SP3, for example (and even now I'm not entirely sure the bug where it disappears is fixed, I just haven't had it happen in a while).

So this is what happened when I was setting up an SP3 for a client.

Clark Nova
Jul 18, 2004

Protocol7 posted:

Anyone else with a Stream 7 have horrible sleeping battery life? I remember with my old T100 being able to sleep the device and it could sit in my backpack for weeks and drain 20% of the battery, but the Stream 7 can't last a whole night without needing a charge.

Open an administrator console window and run "powercfg /batteryreport" and "powercfg /sleepstudy" which will generate reports detailing what is draining power on your system. It sounds like you may have a bad driver or a misconfigured power setting that is keeping the tablet from going into sleep mode.

slave to my cravings
Mar 1, 2007

Got my mind on doritos and doritos on my mind.

Protocol7 posted:

Anyone else with a Stream 7 have horrible sleeping battery life? I remember with my old T100 being able to sleep the device and it could sit in my backpack for weeks and drain 20% of the battery, but the Stream 7 can't last a whole night without needing a charge.

I have an hp 7 stream and the battery sleep life seems to be a known problem to other forums (here, here). It seems to have to deal with the "Connected Standby" mode that Microsoft uses for these 8.1 tablets. Basically the feature tries to mimic Apple/iPhone features and fetch data (like email, etc.) by connecting to the internet and checking every so often. For some reason the feature is pretty badly broken and causes your battery to lose charge pretty quickly. From what I've read, there doesn't seem to be a good way to disable it. The best solution I've come up is to just shut it down completely while you are not using it. It's a bit of a pain, but better than going from a full charge to 20% battery.

Ixian
Oct 9, 2001

Many machines on Ix....new machines
Pillbug

chocolateTHUNDER posted:

So this is what happened when I was setting up an SP3 for a client.

Resume from sleep and wireless is gone, as in the device is actually missing from the manager? That's the bug. Sometimes toggling airplane mode "fixes" it but usually I just reboot.

Starting last July there were a series of "Wireless" fixes released as part of firmware updates, none of which really seemed to do much. The last one was released in mid-November and since then I haven't noticed it happening again on the two trips I've taken, but as it is very likely a hardware problem they are trying to work around in software (to avoid a recall) it's too soon to tell, really.

It's unfortunate because otherwise I've been really pleased with the SP3 as an Ultrabook. The other issues it has really come down to problems with Windows 8.1 and a lack of good "metro" apps, which are the same across all Ultrabook platforms but highlighted by the Surface series because as I mentioned before Microsoft really meant for the hardware to be used sans-keyboard in "tablet" mode when using it in situations where you'd normally have it on your lap.

With the SP3, this would be realistic - it's larger than most pure tablets, but surprisingly light, thin, and very easy to use in portrait or landscape thanks to it's screen ratio (still the best thing they did, I think) - however the software just isn't there. Desktop Windows is a pain in the rear end in "tablet" mode, even with a pen (writing is fine, I mean using it in place of a mouse) and the "metro" ecosystem just isn't there.

You used to be able to find no shortage of Microsoft apologists and white knights (I was nearly one, myself) claiming that no, there are plenty of "good" apps now, and touch IE is awesome and can do 90% of what you need anyway, and blah blah whatever but that seems to have died off lately because it's not true and even Microsoft has admitted as much. The store is still filled to the brim with cut rate Chinese ripoff apps, third party versions of popular apps made by desperate fans, and the occasional outright scam. Microsoft has gotten better about policing this, but they've just gone from "I can't believe how lovely this store is" to "the store is less lovely than it used to be".

The first party apps that do exist are normally a generation or two behind other platforms and rarely updated - ironically, this now applies to the true touch versions of Office as well.

And, Metro apps don't talk/interact well with desktop apps, and have more restrictions. Chrome is a great example of this. Overall, it's just not very easy to use day to day in tablet mode and next to impossible to easily switch back and forth between tablet and desktop mode, which is what the Surface hardware would really shine at. Windows 10 is supposed to correct some of this, including having a mode that detects automatically which form factor you are in and showing the appropriate interface as well as new API's that allow desktop and tablet apps to share information better than they do now...but that, as is often the case with Windows these days, is a ways off.

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
A friend of mine is looking for a computer for grad school and her budget is <=$400, which has me leaning towards tablet+keyboard for the flexibility. We were looking at models in Best Buy and the Yoga 2 tablet+KB caught my eye at $350. Does anyone have any experience with this one?

Also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record why the hell can't I find a floor model of the T200 anywhere? I'm west of Chicago and the woman at my local BB said that there's not only any in the Chicagoland area, but none in southern Wisconsin or NW Indiana. I also couldn't find any when I was home with my parents in SE Michigan for Thanksgiving. Isn't BB the only brick & mortar store it's being sold in?

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe
I'm going to be refreshing the OP soon so if there's any devices you'd like to see highlighted or info you want added, tell me now.

And it looks like the T100 is getting another update. This time in the upcoming Chi line of products from ASUS.

quote:

ASUS today announced Transformer Book Chi Series, a family of beautifully-engineered, razor-thin 2-in-1 Windows detachables, offering the unrivalled convenience of a powerful laptop that transforms seamlessly into a handy tablet whenever needed. Transformer Book Chi is fast but silent, featuring a fanless design powered by up to Intel Core M processors, for amazing performance that gives users the freedom to work and play with effortless mobility — anywhere, anytime.

Featuring some of the world’s slimmest tablets, and with a gorgeous precision-crafted all-aluminum design, the Transformer Book Chi Series offers unprecedented sophistication and elegance in a 2-in-1. The Chi range comprises three models, headed by the flagship 12.5-inch T300 Chi — recipient of a 2015 CES Innovation Award — that is powered by the all-new Intel Core M processor for outstanding performance and power efficiency. T100 Chi is a compact 10.1-inch model with all-day battery life, and T90 is an incredibly-light 8.9-inch powerhouse for on-the-go productivity.

quote:

We’ve seen the T300 Chi before through an accidental hands-on. It will launch with a Full HD display, Core M CPU and 128GB SSD for $699 in February. The ASUS T100 Chi is an Atom-based 2-in-1 much the same as the T100 that already exists. A Full HD screen, a year of Office 365, 2GB RAM and 64GB storage will cost you $399. Finally the T90 Chi is an 8.9-inch tablet and bluetooth keyboard with 1280×768 screen, Intel Atom CPU and a year of Office 365 will start at $299. A 64GB SSD option is available on the T90 Chi.

umpcportal posted:

ASUS Transformer Book T90 Chi Specifications
◦Windows 8.1 32-bit
◦8.9in WXGA 1280 x 800 IPS display
◦Quad-core Intel® Atom™ Z3775 processor
◦32/64GB eMMC
◦2GB RAM
◦241 x 137.5 x 7.5/16.5mm (tablet/docked)
◦0.40kg (tablet) 0.75kg (docked)
◦1 year Office 365

At an entry price of $299 there’s practically no reason that an ultra-mobile PC fan won’t want this. It looks great and weighs just 750 grams in total.



umpcportal posted:

The ASUS T100 Chi looks just as sweet though. Total weight is 1.06 KG and the price is just $100 more. People are going to have a hard time deciding between the T90 and T100.

ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi Specifications.
◦Windows 8.1 32-bit
◦10.1in WUXGA 1920 x 1200 IPS display
◦Quad-core Intel® Atom™ Z3775 processor
◦32/64GB eMMC
◦265 x 174.5 x 7.2/13.2mm (tablet/docked)
◦0.57kg (tablet) 1.06kg (docked)




umpcportal posted:

Pricing for the T300 looks good if you’re not interested in a WQHD screen as long as the SSD is a real one. It’s listed as an iSSD on the ASUS website which could mean ‘integrated’ (which would mean eMMC.) We’ll have to wait for details on that. Here are the official specs we have so far for the T300 Chi.

ASUS T300 Chi Specifications. (Also in our database.)

Processor Intel Core M 5Y71 processor @1.2Ghz / Intel® Core® M 5Y10 processor @0.8Ghz
Display 12.5″ LED backlit WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS panel / 12.5″ LED backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS panel
Touch panel: capacitive multi-touch
Main memory LPDDR3 1600MHz 4/8GB
Storage iSSD 64/128GB Storage
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0, HS
Camera Front: 2MP HD camera (720p video recording)
Dimensions Pad: 317.8 x 191.6x 7.6mm
Dock: 317.8 x 191.6 x 8.9mm
Pad+Dock: 317.8 x 191.6 x 16.5mm
Weight Pad: 720g
Dock: 725g
Pad+Dock: 1445g

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Jan 5, 2015

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

After reading Ixian's post it really reminds me why I was second-guessing the decision to get an SP3. The big dealbreaker for me is apps... I have an android phone so it's sort of annoying to think that the apps I've paid for won't translate over to my tablet. And even if I buy an app twice, there's no continuity there. I see the ASUS stuff and I think - that's exactly what the SP3 should be! Windows in Laptop mode, android in tablet mode. If the ASUS stuff was 12" and had an equally good stylus to the SP3, I'd be all over it!

Zarfol
Aug 13, 2009

Guitarchitect posted:

After reading Ixian's post it really reminds me why I was second-guessing the decision to get an SP3. The big dealbreaker for me is apps... I have an android phone so it's sort of annoying to think that the apps I've paid for won't translate over to my tablet. And even if I buy an app twice, there's no continuity there. I see the ASUS stuff and I think - that's exactly what the SP3 should be! Windows in Laptop mode, android in tablet mode. If the ASUS stuff was 12" and had an equally good stylus to the SP3, I'd be all over it!

I've just been using Genymotion on my windows tablet when for some reason I needed an android app (needed to order something from NewEgg and got a discount if I used the app). Worked fine and I'm on a baytrail atom processor. Was bored and downloaded angry birds to test what it could do and ran at full speed.

Obviously not a permanent solution, but if you "Need" an app for some reason, it is available. I've heard of a thing called DUOS Android, which you are able to somehow run an x86 version of android (at near full core i5 or whatever speeds) while in Windows, but I didn't bother to test it.

Doesn't solve the bigger picture though of course. But the fact that I can run my desktop games and crap on it makes up for it.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe
Video footage from CES

T90 Chi = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9cC8QeTruI
T100 Chi = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmia5dsZd1I
T300 Chi = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kHlUvQV1n8

Really hyped. I may have to sell my Switch 10 and upgrade.

And Lenovo is launching another Yoga Tablet 2 8 but this time with AnyPen technology where you can use anything as a stylus. Which is...yeah.

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
Those are pretty sexy, but probably leaning too far tablet for what I'm looking for; no regular USB ports seems really weird to me though I know they have micro USBs instead and the big selling point is "thin as gently caress". But maybe I shouldn't be in the Windows Tablets thread if something is "too tablet" for me huh :v:

C-Euro fucked around with this message at 03:56 on Jan 6, 2015

Michael Scott
Jan 3, 2010

by zen death robot

Geirskogul posted:

I got the 128gb core i5 one, as I could find it for around $775 with keyboard.

You got it used or refurb, right?

My problem with the Asus T100 (all of the variants so far) is you can't tilt the screen much farther back than 45 degrees perpendicular. It makes it uncomfortable to use in a number of scenarios, which is a problem that doesn't plague the Yoga or SP3.

Michael Scott fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jan 6, 2015

Queen_Combat
Jan 15, 2011

Michael Scott posted:

You got it used or refurb, right?

Used. Seems absolutely perfect, except that it smelled a little like cigarette smoke (blegh). Also got one of those tempered glass screen protectors with it, and it is amazing. I'm never going back to plastic screen protectors if I can help it.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe
The Toshiba Encore line is getting Wacom stylus support.

quote:

Toshiba has two new tablets featuring Intel Atom Bay Trail processors, Windows 8.1 software, and support for a pressure-sensitive digital pen. The Toshiba Encore 2 Write is the company’s low-cost alternative to Microsoft’s Surface Pro.

The 8 inch Toshiba Encore 2 Write has a starting price of $349, while the 10 inch version sells for $399 and supports an optional Bluetooth keyboard cover.

Both models feature 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 1280 x 800 pixel displays, an 8MP rear camera, 1.2MP front camera and up to 11 hours of battery life. But it’s the pen that makes the tablets special.

Toshiba calls the digital pen that comes with these tablets a TruPen, and it supports more than 2000 levels of pressure sensitivity.

The pen may not slide into the tablet case when it’s not in use… but you can clip it to the tablet to make the pen a bit harder to lose.

You can use Toshiba’s TruNote app to not only create notes or artwork, but also to search. Just hightlight text you’ve written and you can choose to search the web for that text. Or you can search the app for older notes… or search by shape. So if you remember creating chart or drawing but can’t remember what you called it, you can try jotting a similar shape and searching.

The pen also supports hover actions, which means you can wave it over the top of the screen to move a cursor as if you were hovering a mouse. This can make it easier to interact with desktop Windows apps on a computer with a small screen and no mouse or touchpad.

The tablets have micro HDMI, microSD, and micro USB ports and it should be available January 11th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XInP9lLHUJI

It's funny to see established companies flee from the race to the bottom tablet market after dabbling in it during the last wave of Windows 8.1 tablets.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Jan 6, 2015

Edward IV
Jan 15, 2006

Call Me Charlie posted:

And Lenovo is launching another Yoga Tablet 2 8 but this time with AnyPen technology where you can use anything as a stylus. Which is...yeah.

I think it's a pretty neat feature. :shobon: Especially since I never really use the stylus for my Venue 8 Pro (even the new, improved revision) because it's usually buried in my bag and feels awkward to use due to its weight compared to a regular pen or pencil. Although it is a band aid solution to the issue that the Windows desktop doesn't work well with touch controls.

Still for $299, the Yoga 2 has an 8" FHD screen, is rated for 15 hours of battery life, and has a built-in kickstand. Not bad considering I paid about $450 for the Venue with a HD screen and about 8 hours of battery life along with the stylus and cover.

Then again, the Yoga only has a meager 32 GB of storage and only a micro USB and micro SD slot for peripherals. :negative: However, the micro USB port can apparently send out power which can be useful for peripherals that need USB power and charging other devices. Plus from using my Venue with a micro SD card, I know that I will have sufficient room to work with on 32 GB of storage as long as I offload as much data as I can to the micro SD card. So I guess it's a good thing I already have a USB OTG adapter and a 64 GB micro SD card that I can use with the Yoga.

Even if I don't end up using the AnyPen feature much, I think I will get the Yoga 2 when it's available.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe
Toshiba announced their own tiny tablet/netbook thing like the ASUS T90 Nevermind it's Europe only.

Edward IV posted:

I think it's a pretty neat feature. :shobon: Especially since I never really use the stylus for my Venue 8 Pro (even the new, improved revision) because it's usually buried in my bag and feels awkward to use due to its weight compared to a regular pen or pencil. Although it is a band aid solution to the issue that the Windows desktop doesn't work well with touch controls.

Still for $299, the Yoga 2 has an 8" FHD screen, is rated for 15 hours of battery life, and has a built-in kickstand. Not bad considering I paid about $450 for the Venue with a HD screen and about 8 hours of battery life along with the stylus and cover.

I don't know. The idea of dragging a normal pen or a knife over a screen freaks me out and it doesn't have pressure support. Couple that with the fact it's overpriced compared to other 8 inch devices and it's hard to get excited about it.

Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Jan 7, 2015

Edward IV
Jan 15, 2006

Call Me Charlie posted:

Toshiba announced their own tiny tablet/netbook thing like the ASUS T90 Nevermind it's Europe only.

The Click Mini, right?

I was pretty excited since it has a FHD screen and the keyboard and touchpad dock is a better solution to using the Windows desktop than using a stylus. The mini HDMI and full-size USB and SD slot sweetens the deal. It's too bad it's for Europe only. I guess it's more trouble (and money) than its worth to try to import one?

Chasiubao
Apr 2, 2010


Went and got a Stream 7 today from the MS store. So far I'm really liking it, but I've had one semi-recurring issue: Sometimes I'll switch from the Facebook or Twitter app to something else, and when I go back, the UI isn't rendering properly and I have to restart the app. Anyone else noticed this?

Edward IV
Jan 15, 2006

I've been thinking that, since I've been keeping my tablets in my bag recently instead of on myself, I would probably be better off getting a 10" tablet that my bag can accommodate instead of a sub-8" tablet. This would give me more options with high resolution screens, more ports, and keyboard cover options.

With that in mind, I think I'm going to get the Lenovo Yoga 2 10.1" tablet with the keyboard/touchpad cover. Aside from not having full-size ports and internal storage and also needing to manage the power of the Bluetooth keyboard cover, it just about covers all of my requirements and needs. I could probably go to Best Buy right now and buy it or at least try out a display model.

LiquidRain
May 21, 2007

Watch the madness!

I want to go paperless for my twice a week language classes, I want to use OneNote to camera scan the handouts and write over them, but my budget is basically as small as possible. Is there anything new on the horizon or do I pick up a Venue 8 Pro and pen? (I'm reading a lot of reliability issues for the VivoTab 8 Note) If anything has a high DPI screen I'd love that, but looks like anything "retina" is reserved for expensive models. I imagine I'll need a model that has a full version of Office on it, not 365.

edit: taken to the Recommend me a Tablet thread

LiquidRain fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Jan 11, 2015

Renzian
Oct 25, 2003
REDTEXTING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS YOU GUYS.

SERIOUS.
BUSINESS.
Just spotted this thread. Hope this is okay to ask here, as Google hasn't been helping much, heh.

For those with an HP Stream 7: is it required to have the tablet connected to the Internet when doing first-time setup? I ask because the only wifi networks I have access to are either the kind where you have to enter your login details via a browser-popup (library, etc) or run a special config .exe to configure your device for the wifi network, where the more secured ones are concerned. Is it possible for me to, if I get a Stream 7, do first-time setup sans Internet and then connect to Wifi when it's all finished?

Fenris13
Jun 6, 2003
I has wifi when I set mine up, but I noticed that there is an option to handle the online registration stuff after setup, so you should be fine.

Alan_Shore
Dec 2, 2004

So I've just realised that my Asus T100TAM C1 GM's touchscreen stopped working.

It was working around a week ago, not done any changes, all up to date (installed 8.1 and all that over a month ago), now system settings just says "No pen or touch input is available for this display."

Any ideas? This is pretty annoying!

EpicNemesis
Dec 3, 2005
So after months of deliberation I finally jumped away from OSX for my laptop and got a surface and I love it thus far. The only thing is now I'm deliberating on if I want to upgrade from the i5 to the i7 so I can run games better. I'm surprised to read that battery life is actually better on the i7 but I am also reading that heat is a bigger issue. I have a USB fan that is really effective at cooling this unit while I'm gaming and I suspect it will be equally up to task with the i7. I'm more concerned with whether the heat will be an issue with regular web browsing and light word/excel. Anyone here with the i7 that can comment on how quickly the fan kicks on? I think it would be annoying if the fan decided it needs to kick on as soon as I decide to open chrome or word or whatever.

Internet Explorer
Jun 1, 2005





I know nothing about the differences between the i5 and i7 but I will say the newest chipset from Intel is coming out soon and the next Surface will definitely be using it. The main upgrades on the chipset is heat and graphics. If you already have an i5 I would wait and upgrade to that if you really need to.

Nerdrock
Jan 31, 2006

EpicNemesis posted:

So after months of deliberation I finally jumped away from OSX for my laptop and got a surface and I love it thus far. The only thing is now I'm deliberating on if I want to upgrade from the i5 to the i7 so I can run games better. I'm surprised to read that battery life is actually better on the i7 but I am also reading that heat is a bigger issue. I have a USB fan that is really effective at cooling this unit while I'm gaming and I suspect it will be equally up to task with the i7. I'm more concerned with whether the heat will be an issue with regular web browsing and light word/excel. Anyone here with the i7 that can comment on how quickly the fan kicks on? I think it would be annoying if the fan decided it needs to kick on as soon as I decide to open chrome or word or whatever.

Yeah if you already have a SP3 with an i5, don't just buy a SP3 with an i7.

What USB fan do you use? My i5 seems to kick the fan on just sitting idle.

Edit : now i'm dicking around with undervolting. We'll see how that goes. http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/07/surface-pro-3-undervolting-boost-performance-by-20-reduce-heat-and-noise/

Nerdrock fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Jan 14, 2015

Zuhzuhzombie!!
Apr 17, 2008
FACTS ARE A CONSPIRACY BY THE CAPITALIST OPRESSOR

EpicNemesis posted:

So after months of deliberation I finally jumped away from OSX for my laptop and got a surface and I love it thus far. The only thing is now I'm deliberating on if I want to upgrade from the i5 to the i7 so I can run games better. I'm surprised to read that battery life is actually better on the i7 but I am also reading that heat is a bigger issue. I have a USB fan that is really effective at cooling this unit while I'm gaming and I suspect it will be equally up to task with the i7. I'm more concerned with whether the heat will be an issue with regular web browsing and light word/excel. Anyone here with the i7 that can comment on how quickly the fan kicks on? I think it would be annoying if the fan decided it needs to kick on as soon as I decide to open chrome or word or whatever.

i5 has been fine, gaming wise, for me.

isndl
May 2, 2012
I WON A CONTEST IN TG AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS CUSTOM TITLE
One thing I've been meaning to try with my SP3 is reducing or disabling the turbo settings on the processor to try and keep the heat to more manageable levels. I suspect that there would be significantly less noise and throttling from sustained use cases like gaming if the processor didn't overheat itself in the first few minutes by turboing.

Dr Tran
Dec 17, 2002

HE'S GOT A PH.D. IN
KICKING YOUR ASS!
I just noticed my Venue 11 has a 48 hz mode for watching movies.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
Do we have a date on the T300 Chi? I've got a 2012 MacBook Air to sell after two years of never really getting used to OSX and it seems like a perfect replacement.

Call Me Charlie
Dec 3, 2005

by Smythe

TheScott2K posted:

Do we have a date on the T300 Chi? I've got a 2012 MacBook Air to sell after two years of never really getting used to OSX and it seems like a perfect replacement.

I heard sometime in February.

EpicNemesis
Dec 3, 2005

Nerdrock posted:

Yeah if you already have a SP3 with an i5, don't just buy a SP3 with an i7.

What USB fan do you use? My i5 seems to kick the fan on just sitting idle.

Edit : now i'm dicking around with undervolting. We'll see how that goes. http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/07/surface-pro-3-undervolting-boost-performance-by-20-reduce-heat-and-noise/

Its nothing special of elegant, just this little guy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XN24GY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I definitely wouldn't use it all the time, but it is effective enough when I'm playing windwaker on the dolphin emulator. (all I've really tried thus far and why I wanted the extra processing power the i7 gives)

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Heran Bago
Aug 18, 2006



Can anyone recommend a good replacement magnetic stylus for a Surface Pro? I used an old Toshiba one for a long time and it was really good but I've totally misplaced it and need a backup anyway.

Considerations are, in order, if it will scratch the screen at all, price, and comfort.

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